Death

c

One of my children asked me once if I was afraid to die.

I used something that happened in my childhood to illustrate my answer to them.

When I was a small child, we belonged to a very nice country club. Every Thursday, we would go swimming there.

One day, I decided I was going to go down the slide like the big kids. I climbed up to the top and quickly realized I had made a terrible mistake. Of course, as an adult, I realize it was only about eight or nine feet, but as a child, it seemed like a skyscraper and I was terrified. I froze. I refused to move. I couldn't slide down, so I tried to climb back down. But by this time, my way was blocked by the other children.

I tried to push them out of my way but the lifeguard (who happened to be my stunningly beautiful cousin, Lisa, but that's another story) told me I had to go down.

"I can't!", I said. And then, right then, I saw my dad wading up to the bottom of the slide. "Go ahead, Charlie! I'll catch you. Don't worry, I promise I'll catch you. I won't let anything bad happen."

I was terrified, but my father was so big and strong that I decided my faith in him was greater than my fear.

And so I slid. Right into his arms and I don't think I ever even hit the water.

That's more or less the way I look at death. Yes, of course, I'm afraid of death, but one day, just like my Earthly father called me and promised to catch me, my Heavenly Father will call me and I will remember that, as much as my Earthly father loved me and as faithful as he was to keep his promises, God is even more faithful and more loving.

And I will slide right into His arms.

 

"I'm not afraid of death. It's the preliminaries I hate." - Dean Martin in "Scared Stiff"

 

"I don't mind the hangin',
But you wait in jail so long…"
Traditional Folk Song

 

I kind of wish we could go through a trial run first so we know how it works, exactly, before the real thing. :tonofbricks: Then again, since we don't know the method, that would be pointless.

Apparently, I'm kind of smart alec even when facing death. Some years ago I stepped off the walk of a parking lot and a semi truck pulled in at a high speed. We hadn't seen each other and I found myself standing right in the center of the grill. As his brakes screeched, I was staring at the cross emblem in the middle and I thought "how ironic, I'm going to heaven while looking at the cross."

No life flashing before my eyes, didn't think of anyone. Just was rather amused at that being the way I was going out, thought it was pretty cool. (staring at the cross, not getting slammed by a semi) Maybe if I'd have had time to think, it would have been different.

 

I hope I am calm and collected....however, at the time when my soul is freeing itself from the fleshy imprisonment, I pray that I will be of good cheer rather than fighting for breath, distressed over incontinence etc.